In the art of preshrinking textile materials, it is known to pass the material to be treated between a pair of endless belts, commonly referred to as blankets. The blankets are typically constructed of rubber or rubber-like material, with each such blanket being guided by a plurality of rollers. Cooperating tension rollers are employed to properly tension the blankets such that the blankets compress the fibers of the textile material passing therebetween toward one another to thereby preshrink the textile material and thus diminish possible shrinkage which might otherwise occur during subsequent washing. One such process known in the industry which employs such apparatus is known as the Sanforizing Process.
One problem which has constantly plagued the users of such compressing apparatus relates to the difficulty of removing and changing the rather heavy, closely spaced endless blankets which constitute the heart of the process. Customarily, the various rollers which support and guide the blankets are supported at their ends on the side walls of a frame assembly. When it is desired to remove the blankets, it is necessary to disassemble the frame such that the blankets can be removed from the supporting rollers which necessarily are positioned inside of the confines of the blankets. Unfortunately, this process of disassembling the frame so that the blankets can be withdrawn from the rollers is extremely complex, necessarily time consuming and results in substantial "down time" adversely effecting maximum utilization of the equipment.
Another unnecessarily complex arrangement prevalent in prior art machinery of the type hereinvolved relates to the apparatus for tensioning and guiding the aforementioned blankets. Traditionally, one set of adjustable rollers contacts the blankets and may be preselectively positioned to properly bias the blankets and establish the desired tension thereon. A second set of adjustable rollers is also provided to selectively raise or lower one side of the blankets and thereby reposition the blankets at their proper central location with respect to the width of the apparatus in the event that the blankets begin to "creep" toward one side or the other. The necessity of two sets of adjustable rollers to perform these two functions necessarily increases the complexity of the overall apparatus, not only adding to its cost, but also increasing the probability of eventual mechanical malfunction.